Improvement in stills for refining oils



iATENT CORNELIUS J. ORONIN, OF ROUSEVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

-INIPROVEMENT IN STILLS FOR REFINING OILS.

Specification forming paxt of Letters Patent No. 150,465, dated May 5,1874; application filed March 21, 187 4.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS J. Cnonnv, of Rouseville, inthe county ofVenango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedStill for Benning Petroleum, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a vertical longitudinalsection on the line C C, Fig. 2, of my ilnproved still for reiiningcrude petroleum.; Fig. 2, a horizontal section on the line a: x, Fig. l;and Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section of the same on the line-y y,Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of my invention is to construct, for the purpose of refiningcrude oil or petroleum, an improved still, in which the process ofevaporating and distilling of thel oil may be carried on with aconsiderable saving of fuel, and with greater rapidity, and also theformation of sediment on the bottom of the still be effectuallyprevented. `The cleaning of the still is greatly facilitated, and notrequired as frequently as in the common stills in use. My inventionconsists of a still, of any suitable shape or size, which is providedwith end chambers extending below the bottom of the still, into whichthe sediments are carried by a lateral traveling piece with adjustablescrapers moving along a longitudinal guide-screw turned by reciprocatinggear.

In the drawing, A represents a still, of any approved shape, used in therefining of petroleum, being either of oblong, round, upright, or otherform, and made of any suitable material.' The bottom of the still isconstructed in such a manner that a flush connection of the plateswithout any projecting rivet-heads or seams is produced. This connectionis obtained by forming one edge of each bottom plate under suitableinclination, the other end being produced with the same inclination, andalso with a anged extension passing under the adjoining plate andconnected thereto by rivets, which are countersunk at the inside of thebottom, as indicated in Fig.'1. The body ofthe still is set into thebrick wall of the furnace in the'usual manner, and the top provided withapertures a, leading, by connectingtubes, to the condensers, and aman-hole, b,

through which the petroleum is supplied to the still and the attendantadmitted for cleaning or repairing the still. The chambers orreceptacles B are applied laterally at opposite sides of the still A,outside of the heating-surface, and extended below the bottom of thesame. The bottom of each chamber B is curved or inclined from both sidestoward the longitudinal axis, and provided at the lowermost point withan exit-hole, d, through which the sediment accumulating in the chambersis drawn off. The bottom of each chamber has, furthermore, a small hole,d', with plug or stopcock for drawing off the water collecting at thebottom of the still. Openings c at both sides of chambers B serve tointroduce the scrapers for cleaning out the bottom of the chambers. Aguide-bolt, O, threaded along its full length, turns in suitablebearings in the outer walls of chambers B, and passes at suitable heightfrom the bottom in longitudi-` nal direction through the still.Screw-bolt C carries a lateral piece, D, which is provided with a seriesof vertical slotted scraper-plates Dl sliding on guide-pins f of pieceD. Piece D is grooved at the lower part, and carried bythe turning ofthe screw with the scraperplates D along the bottom of the still. The

.scrapersD, being arranged throughout the full width of the still, slidealong the smooth bottom ofthe same, and carry the sediment formed by theheavier oils and tar toward one of the lateral end chambers B, intowhich the same is deposited. As the scrapers yield readily in upwarddirection, they adjust themselves easily, and passthereby over' anyunevenness formed on the bottom without interrupting the continuousworkin g of the scrapers or breaking any one of them. The scraperstravel from one side to the other of the still during the process ofdistillation, and prevent thereby the formation of any sediments ornonconducting layers on the bottom of the still.

A longitudinal rod, g, with stops gf, slides in i in opposite directiontill they arrive at the other end, Where the same operation is re-`peated. A regular reciprocating motion of the Scrapers is thus obtained,by which the sediments are continuallyr carried into both chambers orreceptacles, so that on account of the more direct action of the heat onthe oil a more rapid evaporation, and therefore a saving of fuel, isobtained. n

The still maybe run for a considerable length of time Without requiringcleaning, and the chambers are cleaned on stopping the still by thescrapers introduced through the side open.- ings, and thus the sedimentsaccumulated therein removed, the still being then ready for use again. l

I am aware that it is not new to provide a still, used for distillinghydrocarbons, With a scraper, combined with a receiving device, saidscraper being rotated during the process of distillation, and operatingWith relation to the bottom of the still and receiving device.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as nenT and desire to secureby Letters Pate11t l. The improved still for reiinin g petroleum,

consisting of a still with end extension-chambers, and reciprocatingscrapenplates for preventing the formation of the sediment on the bottomof the still, and carrying the same into the end receptacles,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A stilly for reiining petroleum, provided with end chambers orreceptacles 'extending belouT the bottom of the still, and havingexitholes for drawing 0E the accumulating sedi-y CORNELIUS J. CRONIN.

Witnesses PAUL GOEPEL, T. B. Mosnnn.

